


country roads, take me home

by ashavahishta



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Cowboy!Buck, Cowboys & Cowgirls, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29036940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashavahishta/pseuds/ashavahishta
Summary: Eddie didn't really expect that breaking down in the middle of nowhere, Texas, would lead to him meeting somebody as special as Buck.He definitely didn't expect to like him so damn much.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 225





	country roads, take me home

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt "Businessman/cowboy" from tumblr user therogueheart!  
> I am Australian, my knowledge of Texas, farming life and cowboys is extremely limited. Please forgive me. And yeah, I know I used the most obvious title of all time but I have no regrets.

Of all the places Eddie’s car could have broken down, it just had to be Buttfuck Nowhere, Texas. 

And it had to be when it was Hot As Balls degrees out. 

He got the car - a cheap navy blue sedan, thanks for the great company car, Dad - to the side of the road. Now he’s shrugging out of his suit jacket and popping the hood, trying to figure out whether he’s going to be able to get the hell out of here any time soon.

Eddie isn’t the best with cars. He can change a tyre and check for the most basic of issues, his father made sure of that. But anything more complex? Not so much. He’s an insurance broker, not a mechanic, after all.

It doesn’t take Eddie long to diagnose the problem with his car. 

The problem is he has no idea what’s wrong with it.

He sighs. It’s late afternoon and the sun is beating down on the back of his neck as he leans against the hood of the car and pulls his phone out of his pocket. 

No service. Wonderful.

He knows, sort of, where he is - about an hour’s drive west of El Paso, on his way back from a business meeting that should have been an email. His father had insisted he go, that it was “good for the company to attend in person.” Like Eddie has some special networking skills and didn’t just skulk around until it was time to leave.

The road is empty, with green fields dotted with cattle on either side. Nobody’s driven by in at least fifteen minutes, and the heat only seems to intensify as Eddie sits in the car and debates his next move.

He’s about ready to get out and start walking - surely he had passed a gas station? When a beat-up old truck crests the horizon and starts rumbling toward him. He jumps out of the car and waves his arms until the truck pulls in in front of him, kicking up dust. 

The man who emerges from the truck is tall, dressed in blue jeans and a faded pink and blue checkered shirt with a white cowboy hat on his head. “You alright?” he calls out.

“Broke down,” Eddie explains. “I don’t know what’s wrong with it and I don’t have any cell service out here.”

“Ah, yeah it’s kinda a dead zone,” the guy replies. He takes Eddie in - dusty business suit, shiny shoes and all. “And I feel like maybe you’re not exactly in your element out here.”

The words might’ve been harsh if not for the wry smile twisting the guy’s mouth. Eddie snorts. “Yeah, not at all.”

Up close, the guy is... _gorgeous._ He’s younger than Eddie thought, maybe mid-twenties, with bright blue eyes, a full pink mouth and a dusting of blonde-ish stubble over a strong jaw.

“I’m Buck,” he reaches out a large, calloused hand and grasps Eddie’s in a brief shake. “Want me to take a look?”

“Eddie. And yeah, that’d be great.” 

Buck pops the hood and leans over Eddie’s engine for a few minutes. Eddie watches, and tries not to stare at the way those blue jeans stretch tight over the other man’s thick thighs.

“Ah,” Buck finally says. He straightens up and rolls the sleeves of his shirt up over tanned forearms. He has tattoos, Eddie notes with interest. “I think your transmission blew. That’s not an easy fix.”

Eddie swears. “Is there a mechanic around here? Someone who can come tow it?”

“Uh,” Buck removes his Stetson and runs his fingers through short, dark blonde hair. He’s even more attractive without the hat. “There’s Danny’s place, but it’s a decent half hour drive from here and he’s probably closing up shop soon.”

“Triple A?” Eddie tries. 

Chuckling, Buck shakes his head. “You could try, but first you’d have to get a signal and then they’d probably be a few hours getting out here. Your best bet would be to bunk down somewhere for the night and try to get someone here in the morning.”

Eddie had been coming to the same conclusion. “Is there a motel nearby?”

Buck’s face squinches in thought, his left eye nearly closing with the motion. It’s far more endearing than it needs to be. “It’s not exactly that kind of town. It’s basically a general store and a gas station.”

“Goddamn it,” Eddie swears again.

“Listen,” Buck starts. He ducks his head slightly, oddly shy as he continues, “You wanna stay at mine for the night? I don’t have much room, but I can offer you a change of clothes, a relatively decent dinner and a spare phone charger?”

Eddie stares. He’s barely exchanged two words with the guy and Buck is offering his place for the night?

“I’m not a murderer, I promise!” Buck adds and, in a devastating move, flashes a beautiful smile. “Just thought I’d mention it. It’s just me and my dog so I’d honestly be grateful for the company.”

Eddie thinks it over. Buck _does_ seem harmless, and he doesn’t see another option here. He nods. “Yeah, okay. Thank you, man, that’s really nice of you.”

Buck grins again. “Great. Um, grab anything you need and we can head off, I guess.”

Eddie takes a moment to gather his phone and wallet, deciding to leave his briefcase in the car. It’s not like he’s going to be doing any work tonight.

He follows Buck back to his truck and opens the passenger door. Seconds later, there’s paws on his chest and a wet tongue licking enthusiastically at his face. 

“Marley!” Buck barks, and the dog immediately settles back into the seat. “Sorry, she’s way too friendly for her own good.”

Marley is a medium sized dog, mostly white with a brown face and comically large ears that remind Eddie immediately of Yoda. She’s not what Eddie would normally call “cute” but there’s definitely something endearing about her soft brown eyes and the way she starts pawing at him as soon as he sits down.

“In the back,” Buck orders, and Marley jumps out the driver’s side and appears in the tray of the truck behind them moments later. 

“You’re not worried she’ll jump out?” Eddie asks.

Buck laughs. “Nah. She knows we’re heading home and she’s worked hard today, she’s waiting for dinner.” He starts the truck and peels back onto the road.

The truck is...messy, would be a kind way to put it. There’s dust _everywhere_ , empty water bottles, pieces of rope, tools, a battered looking ipod plugged into the dash. Buck must notice him looking but doesn’t seem bothered by it. “Not quite what you’re used to, huh?”

“No, it’s fine,” Eddie insists. 

“What were you doing out here, anyway?”

Eddie explains; his father’s company, the meeting. Buck nods along, asks him more questions and keeps up a steady stream of conversation as they head back toward his place. 

Buck’s nice. He seems genuinely interested in what Eddie’s saying, even about his work which Eddie himself knows is boring as hell. When Eddie mentions his son, Buck all but exclaims in delight. “I love kids!”

“I love this one,” Eddie replies ruefully. “I’ll have to make some calls as soon as we get signal, make sure he’s taken care of.”

“Yeah, of course.” Buck waves a hand carelessly. “Whatever you need. I’ll give you some time to get settled in once we get there, I’ve gotta feed Marley and jump in the shower anyway.”

Ten minutes of easy conversation pass before Buck signals to turn into a long dirt driveway. They rumble up to a small, rundown house with peeling paint and a wraparound porch. “We’ve got about 400 head of beef cattle here,” Buck is explaining as they pull in. 

“And you take care of it all by yourself?” Eddie asks, shocked.

“God, no.” Buck laughs. He walks around to the back of the truck and lets Marley down before hefting an enormous bag of...something onto one broad shoulder. “I just work for the owners, it’s a whole family. They live at the main ranch, about a quarter mile east. I usually live there too, but I’ve been here to help watch out for the heifers. Calving season, you know.”

Eddie one hundred percent does _not_ know, but he nods anyway. “How long have you been here?”

Shrugging, Buck’s face twists in that same endearing squint from earlier. “I dunno, couple of years? I was working construction in Georgia for a few months before that.”

“And before that?” Eddie presses, watching Buck dump the large bag on the porch. He’s been wondering where Buck is from - his accent definitely isn’t Texan. East Coast, he guesses, but he can’t pinpoint where.

Buck spreads his hands and smiles broadly. “Wherever the wind took me, Eddie. It’s a big world.” He winks, and turns to lead them inside.

The house is tiny but homely, with patchwork quilts on the furniture and folksy artwork on the walls which reminds Eddie of his Abuela’s house. Buck shows him to a small guest room. “Um, I’ll find you some clean sheets and something to change into, if you like? You should be able to get a signal here if you want to call your kid.”

“Thanks again,” Eddie says. Buck merely smiles at him again and excuses himself to shower. 

  
  
  
  
  


The evening passes quickly - shockingly so, considering that Eddie is in the presence of a complete stranger.

But Buck doesn’t _feel_ like a stranger. He’s kind, easy-going and so friendly that Eddie finds himself immediately falling into banter and laughter with the younger man. Over a simple dinner of pasta that Buck whipped up, their conversation never seems to falter. Buck is eager to learn about Christopher and Eddie thrilled to have such a receptive audience - he could go on about his son forever.

Buck is also full of colorful anecdotes about his various jobs and travels, leaving Eddie wondering how this whirlwind of a human managed to settle down in Texas for more than a few months.

“I guess I like the...wildness of country life,” Buck explains wistfully as he sips his beer. It’s late, and they’ve moved out onto the back porch to settle on a solidly built but somewhat creaky porch swing. Both are clutching beers - Eddie’s on his third for the evening. “Where I grew up, it was just suburbia, you know? McMansions and perfectly square little lawns. Never saw open fields or the stars at night. Out here, it’s just open space, me and the cattle and Marley against the world. It’s peaceful.”

“You don’t get lonely?” Eddie can’t help staring at Buck as he turns his gaze to the sky. Soft yellow light from the porch lamp highlights his long blond lashes, the pink blotches on his eyebrow which Eddie now knows are a birthmark.

“Nah,” Buck replies, still staring at the sky. It’s a warm, clear night and Eddie has to admit the stars are magnificent out here. “I’m only out here for a few weeks...the rest of the time I’m back at the main ranch surrounded by people. Until then, I’ve got my girl.” He nudges a foot against Marley, curled up at his feet as she has been most of the night.

“How long have you had her?”

“The whole time I’ve been here. Technically she belongs to the family I work for,” Buck reaches down to stroke those ridiculous Yoda ears. “But she’s the best herding dog I’ve ever worked with and she’s stuck to me like glue since we worked our first season together.”

“Christopher begs me for a dog all the time,” Eddie sighs. “His mom doesn’t think he should have one though.”

“You haven’t mentioned her much,” Buck observes, tone deceptively light.

“We’re separated,” Eddie admits. “After I finished my last tour...things just fell apart. We get along okay now. I don’t think we ever should’ve been married in the first place.”

This is it, Eddie thinks. His chance to let Buck know he’s not straight. He knows Buck isn’t - the casual mention of past boyfriends has told him that - but he’s been stewing all night on how to make it known that he himself is single and _very_ interested. 

“I, uh.” Eddie pulls a deep breath. “Probably shouldn’t have married her when I suspected...that I was gay.”

“Oh.” Buck’s eyebrows raise in surprise before he breaks into a bright smile. “That’s cool, man.”

“Thanks,” Eddie huffs a relieved sigh. “Not always the easiest thing to say, especially around here.”

  
  


“Well, I for one am glad to hear it,” Buck shifts to face him on the chair, tucking one long leg under himself. At Eddie’s inquiring look he adds, “It just means I’m not a complete idiot for liking you so much.”

It’s a bold move and Buck seems to know it in the way he ducks his head, suddenly shy again. Eddie sucks in a breath. He’s extremely aware of how close they’re sitting. 

Silence hangs between them for a moment, heat sparking in the air that Eddie knows has nothing to do with the balmy night. 

“You’re not an idiot,” he says finally. Carefully, he puts his empty bottle down on the porch at his feet and turns back to Buck. He doesn’t say it (verbalising his feelings is not a strong suit of Eddie’s) but he hopes Buck can tell that the feeling is mutual as he places a careful hand on Buck’s ankle.

They’re both dressed in sleepwear, shorts and t-shirts, so Buck’s ankle is bare. The skin is soft, softer than it has any right to be considering the work Buck does. They both watch as Eddie strokes up, following the line of Buck’s leg.

“So I’m not reading this wrong,” he murmurs, now rising to lean over Buck’s frame and press him gently into the armrest of the chair. Buck tilts his chin and opens his legs to allow Eddie to settle between them, pressing them together. The heat of Buck’s body beneath him is intoxicating. Buck wordlessly shakes his head, blue eyes warm. He’s smiling when Eddie closes the distance and kisses him.

Buck’s lips are soft and full and he kisses back with such enthusiasm that Eddie nearly starts laughing into his mouth. “Whoa, hey,” he whispers, one hand on Buck’s shoulder as he drops kisses against his jaw. “No rush.”

He’s drawn back up to Buck’s mouth and captures his lips again, this time slow and syrupy. Buck settles, his hand wrapping around the back of Eddie’s neck as their mouths move against each other. 

And _fuck_ it feels so good to finally get his mouth on him. Buck parts his lips, allowing Eddie to slip his tongue inside and taste him. He runs his hands up, tangling fingers into Buck’s hair. It’s soft and damp from his earlier shower, and had curled into sweet little tendrils which Eddie has wanted to touch from the moment he saw them. Buck feels like a solid wall of muscle beneath him, hard abs clenching where Eddie lays against him, strong thighs bracketing Eddie’s hips. Eddie wants to touch him everywhere he can reach.

They kiss for so long that Eddie starts to feel fuzzy around the edges, drunk on Buck’s mouth, the feel of him, the clean-sharp scent of his skin. He only pulls back, finally, when the creaking of the porch swing beneath them gets particularly ominous.

“Shit,” Buck mumbles as Eddie sits up. He looks as drunk as Eddie feels. His lips are swollen and dark, his pale skin flushed and hair messed from Eddie’s fingers. It just makes Eddie want to kiss him again.

“Yeah,” Eddie agrees. His lips are tingling.

“Can’t say I was expecting this to happen when I spotted Mr Buttoned Up on the side of the road this afternoon,” Buck quips, nudging Eddie’s thigh with his bare foot.

“Oh, shut up. You think I started my day at an _insurance conference_ expecting to hook up with a hot cowboy I met on the side of the road?”

Buck laughs, flushing an even darker pink at the compliment. 

“You, um.” Eddie fidgets, suddenly nervous. “You wanna go inside?”

They both know what he’s really asking.

Buck watches him for a moment, eyes sparkling. 

“Yeah,” he says finally. “Yeah, I really do.”

  
  
  
  
  


Eddie wakes with the sunrise.

Or, more accurately, he wakes with Marley’s tongue in his ear.

“Ugh,” he groans, pushing the dog away from him. She sits back for a moment and then returns, snuffling enthusiastically at his neck and forcing him to shrug his shoulders up to get away from the tickling.

“She’s hungry,” Buck groans from his side. “And she knows it’s time to go see the herd.”

Eddie rolls onto his side to face Buck, propping himself on one shoulder. They’re both shirtless, and Buck has several pink and purple marks dotted over his chest and abdomen. Smirking, Eddie reaches out to prod at one particularly large bruise on his hip. “This hurt?” he asks, thumb now stroking absent-mindedly over the smooth skin.

Buck watches him, a small smile spreading on his lips. “Yeah,” he answers. “But I like it.”

He tilts his chin, unselfconsciously asking to be kissed. Eddie doesn’t deny him. It’s closed-mouth and soft, far more gentle than Eddie would usually be with a one night stand.

Buck pulls back with a groan when Marley jumps on him. “Alright, alright,” he laughs, rubbing her head so her ears flop. “I’m up.” To Eddie, he adds, “I’ll give you the number for Danny’s so you can call them now. Then I can drop you off at your car before I start my chores.”

The reality of it all washes over Eddie like cold water. “Oh,” he says. “Yeah. Good idea.”

What did he expect, for Buck to ask him to stay? Eddie has a life to get back to, and Buck has a job to do. There was no other way for this to go. One night, just sex, nothing more.

But...Eddie can’t help but think, as they exchange more easy banter over breakfast, as Buck winks at him and steps close for playful kisses - it doesn’t _feel_ like there’s nothing more to it. The way his heart jumps in his chest every time Buck smiles? The warm feeling he gets when he makes Buck laugh? That’s not just sex.

Not to say that the sex wasn’t incredible. It definitely was, and Eddie would climb into bed again in a heartbeat. But that’s not the only reason he feels tense and melancholy as he prepares to leave the little house.

Buck is cheerful as they dress beside each other - Eddie borrowing more clothes, not interested in getting back into the dusty, sweaty suit from yesterday. Buck chatters about the herd, which cows he’s expecting to give birth soon, a new trick he’s teaching Marley. He doesn’t seem at all bothered that whatever happened between them is about to end. 

Eddie calls the mechanic, gives the approximate location of his stupid broken down car, and is told they’ll be there within the hour. Then all that’s left is to pile into Buck’s old truck and head back.

It’s still early, sunlight breaking through the clouds as they drive. Buck is dressed again in jeans and a checkered shirt (red and black, this time) with his white Stetson perched on his head. Eddie watches him throughout the drive, not paying much attention to what Buck is saying. He feels...disappointed. He doesn’t want to get out of this truck and leave this man - this beautiful, kind, generous man - behind.

When they pull up to Eddie’s car, Buck climbs out behind him and follows him to the driver’s door. 

“Mechanic said he’d be here soon,” Eddies says, awkwardly. Buck already knows that. “Listen, Buck...I can’t thank you enough. For letting me stay, the food, the clothes,” he gestures helplessly at the sweats Buck had given him this morning. “I can try to come back sometime, drop them off for you?”

Buck shakes his head. “No, it’s okay, Eddie. They’re just clothes, it’s nothing.”

So that’s a no to seeing him again. Eddie nods, trying not to let the disappointment show on his face. 

He’s about to open his mouth, suggest that Buck must need to get going, when Buck laughs and steps into his space. A moment later Buck’s mouth descends on his in a hot, needy kiss. Big hands press Eddie back into the car door and all Eddie can do is open his mouth and kiss him back, wrap his arms around Buck’s waist.

They break apart with a gasp. Eddie’s holding onto Buck for dear life, his head spinning from the intensity of it all.

Buck grins, cheeky. “You think I’d let you leave just like that? Eddie, last night was incredible and...I really like you. So no, don’t come back to return the clothes. But definitely use the number I snuck into your wallet, because I think the best way you can pay back my hospitality is to take me on a date.”

“A date?” Eddie echoes weakly. 

“Yeah,” Buck ducks down to kiss him. “Y’know. Wining and dining. Tell me more about that cute kid of yours. And also? You better wear a suit.”

“Why?”

“Because the moment I saw you I wanted to strip you out of it,” Buck winks, kissing him again. Eddie returns it, happiness bubbling in his chest.

“Alright, I’ll wear a suit. But only if you keep the hat.”

[ ](https://ibb.co/Wtvqgy5)

**Author's Note:**

> That is the real Marley, my child. She is a rescue, 50% Australian Kelpie/50% Australian Koolie, 100% dumbass. She is the right breed for herding but the closest she has ever gotten is chasing birds at the beach. I love her so much.
> 
> I'm on tumblr @ ashavahishta !! I take prompts on occasion, and I would love to scream about buddie with you!
> 
> Kudos and comments fuel my soul and result in more cuddles for Marley <3


End file.
